Starting quarterback Deshaun Watson will have to make a case for himself by Week 3 of the 2026 season. The Cleveland Browns will open their season with two road games, starting against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1 and followed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2. Watson will return to Cleveland for the team’s first home game in Week 3 against the Carolina Panthers.
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However, that raises an important question: If Watson struggles in the first two games, would head coach Todd Monken allow him to start in Week 3 as well? After all, the last time Watson suited up in front of the home crowd, the fans started booing him. On top of that, Watson had already called the act “disrespectful.”
General manager Andrew Berry recently addressed that scenario in a conversation with Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com, clarifying his stance on Watson’s comments and the fans’ reactions.
“That (fans booing) is something he’s going to have to uniquely deal with, He’d be the first to admit he didn’t handle it well in that moment. You don’t have to be defined by a moment of weakness or by your mistake,” said Berry.
“…Deshaun is physically healthy and brings a level of experience, mobility and off-script playmaking that is attractive. He is resolved to play good football, very focused. That’s what the fans want to see – giving us a chance to win and scoring points.”
The Browns had traded away three first-round picks for Watson in 2022 and then signed him to a five-year, $230 million deal. However, after missing the first few weeks of the 2022 season due to a suspension, then suffering a season-ending shoulder injury, and dealing with inconsistencies, it was safe to say that Watson had developed a complicated relationship with Browns fans.
Meanwhile, after suffering a torn Achilles tendon during the 2024 season, Watson didn’t suit up for the Browns until the second preseason matchup against the Buffalo Bills this year. After Shedeur Sanders started the first half of the game, Watson was called in. However, when he entered the field, some fans started booing him, prompting Deshaun Watson to call the act “disrespectful.”
“It has nothing to do about the performance,” Watson said of the boos. “It’s a little bit personal. I think that’s a disrespectful thing. I’m going to keep whatever I feel with me and my family internally on how I feel about that. Just move on.”
For Watson, the criticism carried significant weight, considering the fans cheered for him when he went down with a torn Achilles during the 2024 season. The quarterback hasn’t forgotten it and also pointed it out while clearing his stance on the fans’ behavior.
“Last time I played on this field, I tore my achilles and that same fanbase, they cheered when I got hurt,” he said. “So what does that have to do with anything about performance? When a person gets hurt, especially for your own city and they cheer.”
Of course, his comments prompted many to believe that the quarterback may have lost his QB1 job. However, Monken still named him the QB1 over Shedeur Sanders. Subsequently, that didn’t sit well, as the Browns fans once again expressed their frustration with the decision.
Per reports, fans vandalized franchise legend Jim Brown’s statue outside the stadium. Three separate posters were taped to the base of the statue criticizing quarterback Deshaun Watson and team owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam. This is exactly why it remains to be seen how the fans will welcome Watson when he returns to Cleveland in Week 3.